Drive against Ketan Desai goes global

The complaint demanding the removal of Dr Ketan Desai as MCI president on charges of corruption and removing his name from the Indian Medical Register has picked up momentum.

Dr Desai's problems continue as the World Medical Association, of which he is the president-elect, is also reportedly holding its emergency executive council meeting on the issue.

Earlier this month, a nationwide signature campaign titled 'Remedy MCI' had started in the medical fraternity, which has formed a union to oppose the MCI's amendments drafted by Desai which favoured MNC pharmaceutical giants.

About 20,000 doctors from all over the country have joined the union, led by Dr Pankaj Singhal and Dr Paras Gangwal from New Delhi and Dr Vineet Garg from Ajmer.

The MCI is said to have started a campaign urging doctors to reject cash, gifts, or hospitality from drug companies, before it was discovered that Desai allegedly was the biggest bribe-taker.

The campaign is aimed at erasing Desai's name from the Indian Medical Register till the CBI inquiry is completed or permanently if the charges are proved. Dr. Singhal said: "The 'Remedy MCI' campaign strongly welcomes the dissolution of MCI and the decision to replace it with a seven-member panel. Because medical associations remained inert, we had to depend on the government to take steps against MCI - which we expected from independent bodies like IMA which are formed for the doctors, by the doctors and are of the doctors."

According to Dr. Singhal, the campaign has also got support of the global medical fraternity which feels cheated by Desai's activities and demands a reversal of all decisions taken by him at MCI. 

Dr. Garg said: "We are roping in medicos from abroad who are equally affected by this MCI scam and many of them have voiced their support to the 'Remedy MCI' campaign."

However, Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr. Gopal Raju Samaram has opposed the  MCI’s dissolution. Dr Samaram said: "The Centre's decision to dissolve the MCI is highly objectionable."